


Risus

by Yunica



Series: Pueritia Amicus [4]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Childhood Friends, Edelgard gushing kinda, Helping people out, Kittens, Market Trips, Smiles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-03
Updated: 2020-01-03
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:14:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,223
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22095439
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yunica/pseuds/Yunica
Summary: The equation to get Byleth's first smile consists of Edelgard, the market, and kittens.
Relationships: Edelgard von Hresvelg & My Unit | Byleth
Series: Pueritia Amicus [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1586014
Comments: 4
Kudos: 78





	Risus

**Author's Note:**

> How do people normally gush over cats?

Byleth is thoughtlessly kind. She acts in the way she always does, blunt and open without any underlying intentions or motivations. They had gone down to the markets more times than they could count in the past year, and she always helps the merchants and shopkeepers without expecting anything in return. Watching Byleth instills a desire to help those in need in Edelgard, and she becomes eager to do her part as well. They would move boxes and sacks from one side of the shop to the other, and had even chased down a thief once.

Now the vendors call out to them, greeting them with smiles and waves whenever the two of them pass by. They offer them gifts sometimes, an extra pastry from the fresh batch that had just been made or small trinkets from day’s wares. Byleth always claims that she does not understand why they like her so much, and Edelgard finds it endearing that someone could be so oblivious yet so considerate.

A shop owner enthusiastically waves them over, his other hand resting on the side of an open box in front of him. Edelgard remembers that they had helped him clean up his shop a few times before. As they near the booth he asks them, “Do either of you like kittens?”

Byleth stares up at him without responding, but Edelgard nods, and he beckons them even closer. Peering over the edge of the box, Byleth hears Edelgard gasp beside her. Turning her attention to Edelgard instead of the kittens in the box, she finds a wide smile spread across Edelgard’s face. Her eyes are lit up in the way they did whenever she was reading a book she really enjoyed or when Byleth cooked her a meal.

Edelgard nudges Byleth with her elbow. “They're so cute.” Peering up at the man, she shyly asks, “Could I pick one up?” Edelgard reaches in when he nods, and lifts a black kitten out of the box, cradling it against her chest with one hand and softly stroking its back with the other. It looks more like a tuft of black hair than a kitten to Byleth.

The kitten’s eyes open, and its emerald gaze locks onto Byleth, who stares back. They peer unblinkingly at each other until Edelgard notices Byleth standing there stiffly. “Byleth, do you want to pet the kitten?”

Admitting defeat, Byleth breaks away from the kitten’s gaze to look at Edelgard questioningly. “Pet?”

“Yes.” Edelgard grabs Byleth’s wrist, bringing her hand up to rest lightly on the kitten’s back before letting go. “Now just gently rub its back like how I was.”

Byleth moves her hand back and forth over the kitten’s back, mimicking Edelgard’s earlier movements. “It’s soft.”

“It is.” The kitten rumbles with a purr, and Edelgard looks back down at it. “It means they like how you’re petting them if they purr.”

“Would you like to keep that one?” The shopkeeper’s voice cuts in. He is watching them fondly, a gentle smile on his face.

The prospect of bringing the kitten home brightens Edelgard’s face with excitement for a second, but then she frowns, looking down sadly at the black lump in her arms. “I don't think my uncle would allow us to keep a kitten in the manor.”

He nods in understanding. “That’s a shame. Well, you two are more than welcome to stop by and play with them so long as they’re still here.”

“Really? We will!”

They spend the next hour (or two) petting and playing with the kittens. Edelgard is in a much better mood than normal when they finally decide to head home.

Edelgard walks ahead of Byleth, as she usually did. "Those kittens were very cute." Her hands are linked behind her back, and there is another smile on her face.

Byleth hums in agreement. She had not interacted with animals like the kittens before today. The life of a mercenary did not allow for the luxury of keeping a pet around. Calling them cute was something she had only started considering in the past two hours.

Edelgard abruptly stops, pausing for a moment before turning towards Byleth. "Do you prefer walking behind me, Byleth?"

"It's easier for me to watch your back if I'm behind you."

"I see. Is that the only reason why you always walk behind me?"

"Yes."

"What if I asked you to walk next to me instead?"

"If you want me to," Byleth nods. "I'll have to reconsider how I watch your back."

"I'm sure that won't be a problem. Plus it will be easier for us to talk if you walk next to me." Edelgard waits until Byleth catches up with her, smiling at her when she reaches her side. Resuming their walk, she looks to the side to ensure that Byleth is keeping up before continuing their conversation from earlier. "I've always wanted a kitten, but one of my older sisters is really allergic so we could never have one in the palace."

"Edelgard, you seem to really like kittens." Byleth notes, unaware of the can of worms she just opened.

"I do! They’re my favorite. People always say that cat’s are cold and unfriendly, but the strays that used to come into the palace gardens were always so sweet. They would let me pet and feed them, or even let me pick them up to hug. The ones that came by a lot would even roll over and let me rub their bellies. When they purr, it’s so calming.” Edelgard’s eyes are bright once again.

As Byleth listens and watches Edelgard gush about kittens, she feels an involuntary and unfamiliar twitch of her mouth.

“And their paws! They’re so small and soft, it’s almost like—” Edelgard cuts herself off and stops walking again, this time staring at Byleth with wide eyes. “Byleth, you’re smiling.”

“...Smiling?” Confused, Byleth brings her hand up to touch the source of the strange feeling on her face.

While Edelgard is elated to finally see a smile on Byleth’s face, she cautiously asks why she’s smiling all of a sudden. “Is it because you’re happy?”

Byleth tilts her head, “No, I think it’s because you are very…” Byleth pauses, searching for the right word, “cute.”

“Cute?!” Edelgard crosses her arms.

“Yeah, just like the kittens.”

Pouting, Edelgard turns away. “I wish you wouldn’t use the word cute.”

“Okay. I won’t in the future,” Byleth concedes, but she is smiling again when Edelgard looks back at her, and Edelgard already knows this will not be the last time the word cute is used.

“That smile on your face tells me you’re lying.”

Byleth’s smile disappears. “I’m sorry, Edelgard. I won’t smile again.”

“No, that’s not what I meant!” Edelgard is warily staring at Byleth when a thought suddenly crosses her mind. She timidly glances to the side before returning her gaze to Byleth bashfully. “You know, I wouldn’t mind if you called me El instead of my full name.”

“El?...”

“Yes. My parents and older sisters would call me that, and with you,” Edelgard looks up at her, “I think I would prefer it.”

There it was again, that tiny curve of the edge of Byleth’s mouth. She caught on quickly. “Okay then. El, you are very cute.”

“Byleth—!” Edelgard suddenly regretted bringing it up.

**Author's Note:**

> @yyunica on Twitter


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